Rebound device



Dec. 31, 1940. c. E. CAESTECKER REBOUND DEVICE Filed Oct. 9, 1939 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REBOUND DEVICE Charles E. Caestecker, Chicago, Ill.

, Application octqber 9, 1939, Serial No. 298,535

2'1Claims. (Cl. 273-118) The present invention relates to rebound or t ad s o the typ us d inv o r a i with certain types of amusementgame devices, such as so-called pin games, wherein a ball or marble is caused to be impelled or to travel over the surface of a playing field. Such devices usually include a resilient impact surface positionedso that whenencountered by aballor marble, to cause said ball to rebound back in the same general direction formerly traveled or to be deflected in a different path or direction of travel.

It has long been recognized that amusement games, in order to be successful, mustprovide action for creating, stimulatin g, and maintaining the interest of players. Hence, rebound or deflecting" devices have been widely used in amusement games of the type above referred to for the purpose of increasing the action or movement of the ball as it rollsover the playing field of the game. Such devices provide a variable element of chance in causing the ball to pursue a certain or desired path of travel; and in some instances, the devices may tend to augment, while in others, reduce the chance that the ball will move in a certain or desired path.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of rebound or deflecting device of the character indicated, which is constructed so as to practically eliminate all noise incident to impact of the ball thereagainst, and wherein the device is provided with a resilient impact surface adapted to be impinged by the ball traveling from any direction over the playing field.

Another'object of this invention is to providean improved rebound device of the character indicated, comprising a body or support, a portion of which is totally surrounded by a resilient band of material located at a position to be encountered by a ball traveling toward the device from any direction over the playing field.

Atfurther object is to provide a novel and improved rebound device of the character indicated, having a hollow body or support of translucent material adapted to be mounted on the playing field of the game over an electric lamp for illuminating said,body.

Other objects and advantagesof this invention will be apparent from the'following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the rebound device embodying thef'present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top 'view of the device,

with portions of the resilient band broken away toshow the formationof the supporting body.

3 is a vertical central section taken substantially as indicated at line 3-3 on Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through a rebound device of modified form.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken as indicated at line fir-'5 on Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view, part in elevation and part in section of a rebound device of another modified form.

Fig. 7 is a plan or top view of the modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a View, part in elevation and part in section, of a further modified form of rebound device.

Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of the modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 8.

Rebound or deflecting devices of the character constituting the present invention are usually mounted directly on the playing field of the game, and preferably, the said field is disposed at a slight angle to horizontal so as to insure that the balls, when projected onto the playing field, may, by the action of gravity, travel from the upper end of the field toward the lower end thereof.

In the construction represented in Figs. 1 to 3, the rebound device includes a main body or support in of generally oblong shape, the upper portion of which is formed with a horizontally extending continuous groove. or recess H, completely surrounding the body. Said trough serves as a seat for a continuous band l2 of resilient material, such as rubber, said band preferably being formed of material of substantially circular cross-section and dimensioned to project a proper distance from the body so as to insure impingement bythe ball, when traveling toward said device, without engaging any part of the body I 0. The upper part of thefbody in which the groove II is formed is preferably shaped in the general form of a flattened parallelogram having rounded corners so as to provide, at each of oppositesidesthereof, a pair of angularly related surfacesand by virtue of which said band l2, when surrounding the body, is imparted similar surface contour, In other words, in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the resilient impact surface provided by the band 12 consists mainly of two sets of oppositely disposed, impact surfaces and the respective sets being joined together at their ends by an arcuate or curved. section of band. It will, therefore, be apparent that, due to the irregular contour of the resilient impact surface, the ball in impinging said resilient band may be redirected in the same general direction of travel, or may be deflected at an oblique angle in a manner so that it is extremely difficult to cause a ball to engage a rebound or deflecting device of this type so as to insure that the ball will follow a desired path of travel over the playing field of the game.

The support or body I0 preferably is of hollow formation and is made of molded plastic material so as to be rendered relatively lightweight and also to reduce cost of manufacture to a minimum. The device may be secured to the board indicated at A of the playing field of a game in any con-. venient manner. In the construction shown, the interior of the body is provided with a centrally depending boss It, as seen in section in Fig. 3, which is provided with an aperture t5, opening in a recess Hi at the top of the body NJ for accommodating a screw H which may be threaded into the board A of the playing field. For purposes of appearance, the base or bottom portion of the body I0 is formed to the same general contour of that defined by the grooved surface H for the resilient band l2.

In the modified construction represented in Figs. 4 and 5, the body 20 is of the same general contour as the body l0 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and is provided with a similar resilient band 21 Said body 28 is also formed of plastic material to render it lightweight. In this construction, the material is desirably of a translucent character for emitting light therethrough. The interior of the hollow body 20 is formed with a depending tubular sleeve 22 which extends beyond the bottom of the base of the body for snugly fitting into an aperture 23 formed in the board B of the playing field. Connected to the underside of the board B in registration with the aperture 23 is a bracket 24 carrying a light socket 25, in which an electric lamp 26 is seated so as to be disposed above the top surface of the board B. It will be apparent that when said lamp is illuminated, a certain amount of light is transmitted through the translucent outer walls of the body 20 as well as the wall of the tubular sleeve 22. In certain types of games, there are provided devices for completing electric circuits in which lamps, such as 26, are connected and which represent the score of the player in causing the ball or balls to be projected over the playing field in some desired manner. Therefore, when a certain electrical circuit is completed by the ball lodging or engaging in a certain part of the playing field, a lamp, such as lamp 26, in one of the rebound devices is illuminated, which may visually indicate the score to the player.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent another modified form of rebound device which is preferably of hollow form composed of plastic material, including a body 30 of generally tubular shape, closed at the top by an arcuate or rounded head 3i. The outer wall of said body is formed with a plurality of vertically spaced-apart, continuous circumferential grooves 32 surrounding said body. Seated in one of said grooves is an annular band 33 of resilient material, such as rubber, said band of material being of proper section with respect to the contour of the body so as to be impinged by a ball traveling in a general direction of the rebound device without said ball engaging the body 30. The plurality of grooves 32 permits disposal of the resilient band 33 in any one of said grooves to permit use of the body with balls of different diameters. The lower portion of said body 3|] is provided with a reduced tubular extension 34 of such dimension as to be snugly fitted into an aperture formed in the board of the playing field.

A further modified form of deflector device represented in Figs. 8 and 9 includes a main body 40, generally in the form of a post, the upper end of which is provided with a continuous circumferential groove or seat 4| in which is disposed an annular band 42 of resilient material, such as rubber; Said body is provided at its lower end with a centrally located aperture 43, in which is adapted to be engaged a suitable form of fastening element projecting up from the surface of the board of the playing field for securing said device in proper position.

Although I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, manifestly the invention is capable of further modification and rearrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise forms herein disclosed, except as it may be so limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a generally oblong shaped body adapted to be mounted in substantially upright position on the playing field of a pin ball game, said body being formed of molded plastic material of hollow formation with the bottom open and with the marginal edges thereof seated directly upon a mounting surface, the interior of the body being formed with an integral tubular element adapted to receive a fastening element for securing the body to the mounting surface, and a band of resilient material surrounding said body and lodged in relatively fixed position in a seat formed in the outer wall of the body, said seat being formed so that said band of resilient material on opposite sides of the body include two adjacent portions extending at an angle to each other.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a generally oblong shaped body adapted to be mounted in substantially upright position on the playing field of a pin ball game, said body being formed of molded plastic material of hollow formation with the bottom open and with the marginal edges thereof seated directly upon a mounting surface, the interior of the body being formed with an integral tubular element adapted for seating engagement with the playing. field, and a band of resilient material surrounding said body and lodged in relatively fixed position in a seat formed in the outer wall of the body.

CHARLES E. CAESTECKER. 

